Long Days of Hate (1968) User Reviews

Okay Spaghetti Western

[FightingWesterner · 6/10 · 20 October 2009]

In This Man Can't Die (English title) Guy Madison plays an undercover agent of the United States government who recently finished up work on a group of gunrunner/bootleggers but failed to find out the identity of the ringleader. Meanwhile, a family is viciously attacked, the parents murdered and the youngest daughter raped.

The link between the two apparently unrelated plots isn't apparent at first, leading to some confusion on the part of the audience.

Overall, it's a decent little Italian western with a decent performance by Madison, good production values, and excellent use of locations, though the afore mentioned confusion and some slow spots lead it to be less than spectacular.

At first I was going to congratulate the filmmakers on an excellent imitation Ennio Moriconne score but then I recognized a few music cues as being directly lifted from A Fistful Of Dollars, which leads me to seriously question the other songs on the soundtrack! Were they from other movies too?

"I shoot better than that, but I need you alive."

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 1 July 2006]

Ageing a dozen years and adding a chin full of whiskers makes Guy Madison almost unrecognizable from the title character he portrayed in the 1950 classic TV Western "Wild Bill Hickok". Here he portrays a gunman of questionable reputation who accepts a mission to track down the purveyors of rifles and rotgut to reservation Indians. Those same outlaws are in turn gunning for Martin Benson, and intend to make it a painful ride along the way.

Making the affair a bit dicey, Benson is saddled with an entire family who he hasn't seen or contacted in years. His parents have been busy though, while Martin appears to be about fifty, his youngest brother Aryas looks to be around twelve. There's also sister Susan and brother Daniel (Steve Merrick), that one would swear could be the winner of a Will Hutchins look alike contest. The family is the target of villain boss Graham (Rik Battaglia), who figures that if he treats everyone badly, his reward will be Susan's hand in marriage.

I saw the film under the title "This Man Can't Die", and though my summary reference quotes Martin Benson when he shoots one of Graham's henchman, the title actually refers to Tony Guy (Peter Martell). Or at least I think it does. Tony is Benson's partner gone undercover to infiltrate the Graham gang, and when he's left for dead at the Benson homestead, Daniel and Susan attempt to nurse him back to health to get information on the bad guys. I found it interesting that they would hide him in a furnished cave at the edge of their ranch, nice touch.

At times I had the impression that the film tried being a 'peep show' Western, what with the prominently visible female breasts from time to time, though often in violent situations. It seemed to be done more for risqué effect than to advance the story, but each tease was a sit up and take notice moment.

There's a curious mountain man named Joe who appears a couple of times, who quite humorously has a small ladder built into the saddle for his mule Washington. In a scene near the end when bad guy Graham gets the drop on Martin, the mule man's appearance out of nowhere turns the tide. You can see the contrived finale coming as Graham and Benson wrestle over a rope fashioned into a noose; you know that the bad guy will swing for his indiscretions.

Though the credits list this as a color film, the DVD print I viewed was in black and white, and I think I preferred it that way. It was part of a compilation of nine 'Spaghetti Westerns' from St. Clair Vision, but to my mind it had the look and feel of an American made flick. Only the musical score from Amedeo Tommasi helps convince otherwise.

THIS MAN CAN'T DIE (Gianfranco Baldanello, 1967) **

[Bunuel1976 · 4/10 · 9 February 2008]

Second-tier American leading man Guy Madison plays a character whose notoriety precedes him in this Spaghetti Western – which, having very modest credentials emerges as essentially routine (though featuring a nice enough score). The plot offers some mild interest: the title, incidentally, refers to a wounded man involved in the murderous assault by gun-runners on a ranch – the property of the family of their pursuer, cavalry agent Madison. The latter's younger siblings are determined that the injured party, now in their charge, lead them to the gang boss responsible; ultimately, the identity of either mystery man proves a surprise – and both, ironically, become involved with one of Madison's sisters (another is raped during the raid). Euro-Cult starlet Rosalba Neri appears unremarkably as a saloon hostess, and Madison's ex-flame.

Worth a viewing

[boardwalk_angel · 30 December 2005]

In Gianfranco Baldanello's third (of 6) Italian Western...Guy Madison stars as a mercenary undercover agent for the military... in this minor..but on the whole pretty well done western.

Martin Benson hasn't quite made it home from the war..rather working undercover & gaining a reputation as an outlaw. As 3 bad guys he helped to capture are hanging in the wind..he's offered a substantial amount of gold to find the leader of the gun & liquor smuggling operation he's helped to take a bite out of..even as.....gang members are out to get him..& target his family as well. His parents are killed..younger sister raped..& he & his younger brother set out for revenge...also trying to stay alive..as the remaining family members (2 sisters..2 brothers) are still being stalked.

Madison, of course, knows his way around sixguns, fistfights & horses..& it shows. He's as comfortable to watch as wearing an old pair of worn in jeans. There are no 'corrida' type showdowns..but some medium to larger gunfights...& probably pretty much how gunfights really were...shooting people anywhere & anyhow you could..in the back..through windows...whatever works.

Amedeo Tommasi's (The House with Laughing Windows ) first & only Spaghetti Western score is imitation Morricone..but good imitation Morricone......strings & horns w/ the dominant electric guitar..& the title vocal tune is a typical catchy Spaghetti Western pop ballad. Overall , among the best Morricone rips I've ever heard.

So what we have here is kind of a mixture of the pre-Leone SW & some post Leone elements......brutality...rape..nudity...& the the usual bloody messes. I don't believe that a widescreen version of this movie still exists...it's showing up on a lot of those 5..20..50 cheapo Movie packs...the fullscreen is watchable...I do recommend zooming it down to 1/2 if you come across the DVD. It's worth a viewing.

Lackluster SW

[bensonmum2 · 4/10 · 5 January 2006]

As far as Spaghetti Westerns go, I'd put This Man Can't Die on the dull side of the genre. It's not that the movie is particularly bad, but it lacks the brilliance and flash of some of the other SWs I've seen. Guy Madison does his best in the lead role, but lacks the on-screen charisma necessary to pull it off. With one notable exception, the rest of the cast isn't particularly good. The direction is uninspired and offers very few moments that I haven't seen before. There's just not much to get very excited about.

The cast exception I mentioned is Rosalba Neri. She's the one bright spot in this otherwise mediocre film. Unfortunately, her screen time is limited to less than 15 minutes. (Note: The IMDb page for This Man Can't Die is wrong. Rosalba Neri does not play Jenny Benson. Instead, she is the character Melin. I'm not sure how anyone could mistake Rosalba Neri for some guy named John Bartha as listed in IMDb's credits for the movie.)

You Can't Keep This Good Guy Down!

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 9 December 2008]

Writer & director Gianfranco Baldanello's "This Man Can't Die!" with Guy Madison qualifies as an above-average spaghetti western. Baldanello penned the screenplay with "Three Dollars of Lead" writer Luigi Emmanuele and "Atlas against the Cyclops" scribe Gino Mangini. Actually, Baldanello, Emmanuele, and Mangini have written a rather formulaic but entertaining oater that relies on the literary use of foreshadowing to tell its tale of greed, redemption, and justice. Watch the box of guns & gun belts that are given to the hero in the first scene and you'll understand.

Baldanello, Emmanuele, and Mangini provide d0 a good job of establishing the action in the first scene at a cavalry fort. The army captain (Giovanni Ivan Scratuglia of "Kill and Pray") tells our hero, Martin Benson (Guy Madison), "So far you've done a good job, Martin. But obviously you won't be able to continue undercover any longer, their friends will be after you like a swarm of bees." Benson gauges his payoff, "Instead of ten pieces of silver, I get paid in gold." Martin Benson is a lean, mean, tall, unshaven, cigarette smoking specimen of humanity. In other words, he is a standard Spaghetti western protagonist.

Three felons that Benson brought in swing from the gallows outside the captain's office. The captain complains, "Damnit, even with death staring them in the face, they won't talk. The smuggling of firearms certainly won't end with a rope around the necks of those devils outside. I don't care how you do it but we've got to find out who's in charge of this operation and where the new hide0ut is. Washington is never going to get off my back until rifles and rotgut are off the reservation. You know, Martin, I'm up for promotion."

Benson refuses to take the assignment. "If I keep fooling around with those gun runners my hide isn't going to be worth a damn." The captain demands that Benson handle the job and he manages to convince him with more money that he --rather than Tony Guy (Steve Merrick) -- isn't appropriate for the mission. "I've just been bought," Benson agrees as he accepts the money. Before Benson leaves, an army sergeant enters headquarters with the guns and gun belts of the three outlaws that were hanged outside. Benson tells the captain to sent the hardware to his father and he rides out. No sooner does Benson hit the trail that two horsemen and a couple of riflemen lay an ambush for him in the sagebrush. Benson blows the two horsemen away while on horseback him wielding his Winchester repeating rifle with one hand. This doesn't keep the bad guys from pursuing Benson. Meanwhile, at the Benson ranch, Martin's father has disowned his oldest son because of his criminal record. This is one plot point that the scenarists never resolve. Earlier, the army captain told Martin that he could have his record wiped clean by discovering the identity of the man behind the contraband whiskey and rifle trade. Anyway, the same gang that are tracking Martin strike his parents ranch while his two brothers and oldest sister are gone to town. The gunslingers kill Martin's mother and father; one outlaw rapes his youngest sister, Jenny (Rosalba Neri of "Lion of Thebes"), and traumatizes her so that she cannot talk.

When Daniel Benson (Pietro Martellanza), his older sister Susy (Lucienne Bridou of "Black Jack") and their youngest brother arrive at the ranch, they find their horses have been stampeded and a wounded man is lying on their property. Initially, Daniel believes that the wounded man is one of the brigands that killed his parents. He takes the man to a cave and brings the doctor to attend to him. Meanwhile, Vic Graham (Rik Battaglia) lusts after Susy, even though she refuses to have anything to do with him. The action shifts back to Martin who discovers the rendezvous point between the Indians and the gun runners. He uses his skill with a Winchester to blow up two wagons filled with rifles. The bad guys wound him, a mere flesh wound, but he escapes and rides to the ranch to learn about the massacre of his family. The bad guys never give Martin a moment of respite. Eventually, they capture him as well as Daniel and trap them in their ranch house while they pile trees outside before they torch the structure. In the wagon that Susy drove to town to fetch the mail is the box of guns from the gun runners that were hanged at the fort in the first scene. Not only does Martin discover the ring leader of the rotgut and rifles outfit, but he also kills him during a fight in the upper story of a building.

Although this horse opera has been clearly dubbed, especially Guy Madison, the words do match the mouths even though the voices seem incongruous. The scenery isn't as spectacular as the terrain in most Euro westerns. The dialogue isn't as clever or catchy nor are the gunfights staged with the ostentation of those in either a Sergio Leone or Sergio Corbucci oater. On the other hand, "This Man Can't Die!" is largely believable and pretty straightforward with its linear narrative and shuns the use of flashbacks. The performances, especially "Since You Went Away" actor Guy Madison, who earlier rode the range in 112 episodes of "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok," are credible. Rik Battaglia of "The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo" makes a suitable nemesis, while Pietro Martellanza of "Kill Them All and Come Back Alone" is good as Guy Madison's younger brother. Composer Amedeo Tommasi contributes a good orchestral score and a James Bond style theme song, but often Baldanello borrows (or steals depending on your point of view) cues from Ennio Morricone's "Fistful of Dollars." Altogether, "This Man Can't Die" is a Spaghetti western worth watching a look see.

¨Long Days of Hate¨is a routine Spaghetti Western with lots of shots , thrills , action , including a spectacular final

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 17 September 2020]

This thrilling Pasta Western packs noisy action , shoot'em up , high body-count and resulting to be fast moving , being quite entertaining and made in American style as well as Spaghetti , approaching increasingly Leone Italian manners , but keeping some details that make it special in this particular genre . Set in 1870 Texas , it deals with a solitary drifter Martin Benson (Guy Madison) working for the army , as he is really a bounty hunter who tracks down gangs of gun smugglers supplies arms, ammunition and whiskey to Indians . Nevertheless , the army still needs the location of the smuggler leader , his hoodlums and their latest hideout and then an Union Major asking for the undercover government agent to carry out a dangerous mission . As Martin Benson wants to retire but the army asks him to find the head of the smugglers , but he finally accepts thanks to a huge payment in gold coins offered to him as an enticement. The army commander arguments that Benson is the best agent for the job even if another undercover agent , Tony Guy , has already penetrated the smugglers' outfit . As Benson agrees to this last assignment and heads out of the army fort and by the way he observes as a group of gun-runners are being hanged on gallows . On the trail , many gun runners and bandits attempt to ambush him and have him killed . In the nearest town , at the Benson farm, a group of smugglers assault and ransack the farm and kill Martin Benson's parents . They also rape his sister, Jenny (Anna Liotti) who results in a shock situation and unable to speak . Meanwhile , the other Benson brothers , little boy Arias , Susy (Lucienne Bridou) and Daniel (Alberto Dell'Acqua) are in town buying supplies . The city is dominated by Vic Graham (Rik Battaglia ) and a corrupt sheriff (John Bartha) . When the siblings go back the farm, they find their parents dead and sister Jenny extremely upsettling and wounded . They also meet an injured man (Peter Martell) in the shed . Jenny seems horrified of him and the siblings assume the wounded man is one of the assailants , possibly the one who raped Jenny . At the beginning Daniel want to kill him but he changes his mind when he realizes that he could extract vital information about the bandits from the injured man . Daniel decides to save the life of the wounded outlaw by all means and force him to reveal the identity of the other band members . Meantime , one posse going after the attackers , as a member results to be the powerful local businessman Vic Graham (Rik Battaglia) who controls the town with his gang , as when the sheriff's posse arrives at the farm, the Benson children conceal the fact there is a wounded bandit in their shed . After the posse leaves the farm, Daniel sends for the town doctor (Silvio Jachino) to come and patch-up the injured outlaw . When Martin Benson finally arrives in town , the older brother is given the sad news about his family's tragedy and subsequently helps his unfortunate relatives who have been gunned down by Graham's murderous bandit band . As he is desperately wanting justice when he finds his family murdered . Along the way Benson is hunting down the vicious outlaw gang , and eventually comes face to face with the villain .

This obscure Spaghetti turns to be a passable Maccaroni western that contains a story full of violence , so-so dramatic pace and slick direction . It follows the Sergio Leone wake , including close-ups , shootouts , choreographic duels and that's why being proceeded in Italian style . It's a thrilling western with spectacular scenes and breathtaking confrontation among protagonist Guy Madison and heartless enemies led by Rik Battaglia , as well as the shocking surprise about the personality of the wounded outlaw . It's a middle-budget Italian film with usual actors , technicians, production values and pleasing results . Charismatic interpretation from Paella/Spaghetti's customary actors . The American actor Guy Madison is average in his usual tough role , here as an undercover agent who helps the army to eliminate weapon smugglers while posing as a drifter attempting to know the identity of the man in charge of the gang , but the ruthless cutthroats are on his trail . Good-looking American actor Guy Madison appeared in 'tough' western and drama roles under contract to 20th Century Fox and other Hollywood companies , such as : ¨Bullwhip , Savage wilderness , Jet over Atlantic , Drums in the deep South , Since you went away, Till the end of time¨ . After that , he moved to Italy during the 60's to star in spaghetti westerns , adventure , sword and sandal epics . Then had a solid run as the second lead of several Italian low-budget, cult WWII , Spaghetti and adventure films in the 1960's such as : ¨Special forces , Bang bang kid , Superargo , Five giants of Texas , Cold steel for Tortuga , Place in hell , Apache's last battle , The conquestor and the empress , Executioner of Venice¨ . Here Guy Madison gives a so-so acting as the brave starring who together his brothers and an undercover agent try to thwart the enemy schemes .Secondary cast is decent with B-Spaghetti ordinary actors formed by a lot of familiar faces in this agreeable support cast , many of them under-covered by American pseudonyms , such as : Rik Battaglia as the evil boss who adores Susan Benson but she was never interested in him , Peter Martell pseudonym of Pietro Martellanz , Alberto Dell'Acqua who often used as Robert Widmark , he plays the young impulsive brother who Motivated by vengeance wants to kill the wounded bandit , Attilio Dottesio , John Bartha, Ivan Scratuglia and Franco Pesce . And two Eurotrash gorgeous girls : Lucienne Bridou as Susan Benson and the always attractive Rosalba Neri as a Saloon girl who falls for the starring.

Colorful and evocative cinematography by Claudio Cirillo , though being necessary a perfect remastering . And appropriate and atmospheric musical score in Spaghetti style by Amadeo Tommasi . This motion picture Titled : This Man Can't Die (Canada, English title) Long Days of Hate (United States) Ringo ne devait pas mourir (France) , Deze man mag niet sterven (Belgium) was regularly directed by Gianfranco Baldanello . He was assistant director and subsequently directed some films . Gianfranco made several Spaghettis , such as ¨Uccidete Johnny Ringo¨ , ¨This man cant die¨ , ¨Son of Zorro¨ , ¨The Cry of the Wolf¨, ¨Black Jack¨ and ¨Blood River¨ . And ¨30 Winchesters for El Diablo" or "Gold Train" .Rating : 5.5/10

Above Average Spaghetti Western.

[JohnWelles · 7/10 · 29 January 2010]

"I lunghi giorni dell'odio" (litrall translation: "Long Days of Hate") AKA "This Man Can't Die" (1967), directed by the capable Gianfranco Baldanello, who would go on to make the infamous "Black Jack" (1968), is above average Spaghetti Western. While not on the same level as Leone, Corbucci or Castellari, this film still holds it's grip pretty well, with excellent action scenes, some well staged bar brawls, very well done shootouts and a neat, Leonesque showdown for the climax. The plot is the usual story: parents murdered and daughter raped by outlaws, the sons set out to avenge their deaths. But it's capably handled, even if the revealing of who the head of the outlaws is is no big surprise. Still, a must-see for fans of the Spaghetti Western genre.

Can you believe it? A spaghetti western that's actually entertaining?

[drystyx · 5/10 · 4 July 2010]

I never thought I'd live to see the day when there was a good spaghetti Western. Most of the ones we have rammed down our throats are those goofy ones Eastwood was in, the ones where men are classified into gods who can't miss, demi gods who can only miss gods, and mortals who just fill graveyards. Yawn provoking one dimensional caricatures they think can pass off as caricatures because they don't shave.

But this one combines the elements of credible characters with entertainment and an actual story line.

It helps to have Guy Madison, too. No doubt he had a large say in keeping this one from being a cartoon cardboard cut out.

Not saying it is realistic. This is a shoot em up. But the circumstances are more thought provoking and believable, because the characters actually have motivation. In the spaghetti flops that clowns like Leone directed, he simply made everyone a certain degree of a sadist to explain their actions. In this film we are spared that cliché of the modern movie. The gun play is far more believable than anything Leone ever did. There are a few clownish fight scenes with people doing flips, but not many.

Like most good Westerns, the minor characters and their treatment with dignity make this stand above the lesser ones. Again, one sees this a lot with Guy Madison, so either he had a large hand in it, or he was careful in the selection of the role.

This is entertainment.

Well done serious spaghetti Western

[Wuchakk · 7/10 · 19 July 2016]

Released in 1968 and directed by Gianfranco Baldanello, "This Man Can't Die" (aka "The Long Days of Hate") stars Guy Madison as a government-hired agent looking for the ringleader of a group of gunrunner/bootleggers. Meanwhile his parents are murdered and youngest sister raped (Anna Liotti). Will he and his younger brother & other sister (Steve Merrick & Susy Benson) find the killers and their ringleader? Rik Battaglia and Rosalba Neri are also on hand.

This is a serious spaghetti Western more akin to Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968) than his comic booky (and sometimes goofy) Man with No Name trilogy. But it's half as long as "Once Upon a Time" and therefore leaner, which is better in my book (although "Once Upon a Time" is technically the better movie). While not great, it's a solid Western with a lousy English-speaking title. Too bad Anna Liotti's role wasn't bigger because she's an ultra-cutie.

The film runs 90 minutes and shot in Spain.

GRADE: B

Wild Bill's Cover Is Blown

[bkoganbing · 2/10 · 26 October 2010]

Guy Madison was another former big name star who went to Italy in hopes of work and got to star in this pasta oater, Long Days Of Hate. The former star of Wild Bill Hickok on television must have waited for the pay check to clear before embarking on this one.

When the film opens we find out that Madison has been undercover with a gang of gunrunners, selling army rifles to the Indians, but his cover was blown before he found out who the real leader was. So what do the outlaws do? Invade his home and kill his parents and rape one of his sisters. Of course Madison and the siblings are out for blood.

There is an older sister, but she's untouched because the leader of the gang has a thing for her. If you care to see the film, you'll find out who it is.

When he was in the states Madison in addition to Wild Bill Hickok on television did a few nice B westerns and seeing him in this is really quite a come down.

Madison must have envied what happened to Wild Bill in Deadwood after working on this.

Guy Madison makes this movie worth viewing

[Cristi_Ciopron · 6/10 · 10 September 2010]

I LUNGHI GIORNI DELL' ODIO, a '60s western, has two story lines, one exciting, the other less fun—an iconic western illustrated and epitomized by 'Martin', played by Guy Madison, a 'Dr. House' type tracking a band of gun smugglers (and here you truly get the delightful iconic western, with hats and guns and a lean gunman)—and the sometimes mandatory family gruesome melodrama (the two bothers and their family, the will of revenge; the family storyline is cheered up a bit by 'Martin''s return—as the prodigal son/ brother); the score charmed me less than I would of expected after reading a hype review.

The director is Baldanello.

Long Days of Hate

[BandSAboutMovies · 3/10 · 13 June 2022]

Known as This Man Can't Die and Long Day of Hate, this Italian Western stars Guy Madison, who had been the title character in the TV series The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickock, as Martin Benson, a Civil War veteran and former outlaw who is trying to clean up his act by working as an undercover agent for the U. S. Army.

He's already helped capture and execute three members of the gang he's snuck into - he sends the reward and guns home to his father, a man who still looks at him as a criminal - but he's tired of this life. Yet his hard work will get his captain promoted and he's forced to stay working.

The gang learns that Benson was the man who has done them wrong, so they find out where his family lives and murder his parents and assault his sister, leaving her mute. When his brother Daniel finds one of the gang members near death, he decides to nurse him back to health so he and his brother can get revenge.

Maybe Benson's life isn't going so well. That said, Rosalba Neri is his girlfriend. There are worse things, right?

Director Gianfranco Baldanello - who often worked as Frank G. Carroll - also directed Colt In the Hand of the Devil, Danger!! Death Ray, Man with the Golden Winchester and Very Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind. He also wrote the giallo The Girl In Room 2A but mostly worked as an assistant director. He also co-directed The Uranium Conspiracy with future Cannon Pictures boss Menahem Golan.

This movie has more nudity than several Italian westerns put together. That's really all it has to make it stand out, other than the two great titles.

Looks like they messed with the wrong Guy.

[Poseidon-3 · 19 July 2007]

Ambitious with regards to its range of characters and at times twisty storyline, this is nonetheless a middling spaghetti western, thanks mostly to a banal script and some atrocious dubbing. Madison plays a mercenary who is hired to bust up a ring of gunrunners and firewater smugglers who are supplying the Indians with these forbidden items. In retaliation, his parents are gunned down and his four siblings are threatened into hiding. While Madison is busy trying to stop the gang, his younger brother Merrick is holed up with their youngest brother, their two sisters and a wounded man they've taken from the site of their parents' murder. Meanwhile, local businessman Battaglia has his eye on the eldest sister Bridou to the point of obsession. Amidst the sometimes-turgid family drama is a liberal sprinkling of gunfights, brawls and other action sequences including a fire. Madison, though wrinkled around the eyes and graying, is still a handsome man and he does well in all areas of the film. Unfortunately, he is off-screen a fair amount of the time and some of the other performers are dubbed in so ridiculous a fashion (though, clearly, this is not their fault!) that it diminishes the film overall. Also, the five siblings couldn't be more far apart in terms of looks and age span, rendering the family connection a bit ludicrous. Bridou is an attractive and appealing presence. It's surprising that her career didn't consist of more work. While her big, teased hair is hardly authentic, it's typical of the era in most all areas of film, Italian or not. Battaglia is solid, though he was usually more impressive in togas and sandals rather than the buttoned up look he sports here. Liotti, as Madison's saloon girl mistress, looks like a cross between Sophia Loren and Stephanie Beacham and, while her body is impressive, her massive crown of curls is pretty hilarious. The direction is inventive and the music isn't bad at all, though it has a definite James Bond-ripoff sound at times, including the amusing opening titles number. The scenery is nice. The story even has a twist or two, but the script just needed a bit of tightening up and variety (try counting how many times a character says, "Stay with Jenny" or "Look after Jenny"!) There are several gratuitous flashes of breast in the film to help keep viewers alert. The primary deficit is the dubbing, which is bad even by the already low standards of the genre. One farm wife, in particular, is unintentionally hilarious at all times (apart from the obvious gentle comedy written into the character.) It's not a bad film, just one that's hampered by a couple of issues.

Routinely-plotted spagwest with some stylish action highlights

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 14 November 2016]

This is a fairly typical spaghetti western enlivened by three above-par factors. The first is the presence of Hollywood leading man Guy Madison, whose performance as Martin Benson, a put-upon cowboy, lifts the film no end and really involves the viewer. The second distinctive factor is the score, which bears obvious influences from the likes of Ennio Morricone but nevertheless proves to be both memorable and fitting for the film's tone. The final decent factor in this production is the quality of the various action sequences, all of which are executed with finesse and style. The highlights include a shoot-out in a bar in which Madison prowls along a roof, shooting in through the windows, and a magnificently-done set-piece in a burning house where the good guys are imprisoned and about to be burnt.

Aside from Madison's excellent turn as leading man, the casting is pretty good, with Rik Battaglia's menacing bad guy being a stand out. The female cast members seem to have been chosen for their looks rather than their acting abilities – especially in the case of Lucienne Bridou – aside from Rosalba Neri as Melin; Neri always offers acting ability as well as looks and she's as good here as she ever is. The story of revenge and villainous gang members is pretty predictable but it keeps moving along quickly and the aforementioned action scenes are worth watching. The film is also notable for the amount of female nudity in the production; in a couple of scenes women are attacked by men and end up (briefly) losing their tops. This adds a pretty unsavoury feel to the proceedings and you have to laugh at the obvious attempts at exploitation.

This Man Can't AYE

[Bezenby · 6/10 · 29 May 2017]

Things are getting complicated in the Benson family. Older brother Martin is out tracking down and destroying gun runners, while back at home a bunch of jerks have just turned up at the ranch, killed Ma and Pa, and raped sister Jenny! Revenge is on hand, but only the wounded guy the Benson family find on the ranch can tell them who set the attack up. That man can't die!

At first you've got a split film, as you have Guy Madison as the more violent Benson brother wasting his way through the bad guys before he even knows what has happened back home. In fact, his girl Rosalba Neri can't get a word in to tell him what's happening while he's all over her like a rash, Elsewhere, you have the rest of the Benson clan keeping it together and trying not to let the world know that one of the attackers is still alive. Plenty of twists happen and thankfully although the film drags here and there things pick up with the gunfights at the end.

There's a pretty good gunfight in a burning house and an even better one in a bar. For the most part this plays out like an average Western but has enough in there to stand out at least slightly from the pack. Rosalba Neri helps. Of Course.

Gritty Western

[davelisaly · 30 July 2001]

Very well made Eurowestern with Guy Madison (almost unrecognizable) as Martin Benson. The plot may be a familiar one to Eurowest fans, but the director gives a standard plotline a fresh new look. No overacting in this film, which sometimes is the case, just straightforward acting from the entire cast. I would give the film at least five stars (maybe more)!